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Florida, State Representative, District 56

Florida House of Representatives District 56
Current incumbentMelony Bell Republican Party
Population154,900
Race73.0% White, 11.7% Black, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 11.3% Some other race alone, 2.2% Two or More Races
Ethnicity59.2% Single-Race Non-Hispanic White, 11.9% Non-Hispanic Black, 0.6% Hispanic Black, 26.2% Hispanic, 2.1% Non-Hispanic Other
Voting age74.2% age 18 and over

Florida's fifty-sixth state house district is represented by Republican Representative Melony Bell.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 154,900 civilians reside within Florida's fifty-sixth state house district. Florida state representatives represent an average of 156,678 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 133,186 residents.

About the office

Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Members of the House may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.

Qualifications

To run for the Florida House of Representatives, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve.

Salaries

State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$29,697/year$152/day based on the number of days in Tallahassee.

Term limits

The Florida legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat. The Governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the Secretary of State to set the election dates and nominating deadlines. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Florida House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 18, 2020. The filing deadline is June 12, 2020.

2018

General election
General election for Florida House of Representatives District 56

Melony Bell (R) defeated Jeff Mann (R) in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 56 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Melony Bell (R)
74.5
33,556

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

Jeff Mann (R)
25.5
11,482

Total votes: 45,038
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Democratic primary election

The primary elections were canceled.

Republican primary election

The primary elections were canceled.

2016

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.

Incumbent Ben Albritton defeated David C. Poulin in the Florida House of Representatives District 56 general election.

Florida House of Representatives, District 56 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.png Ben Albritton Incumbent 64.74% 36,420
Democratic David C. Poulin 35.26% 19,837
Total Votes 56,257
Source: Florida Division of Elections

David C. Poulin ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 56 Democratic primary.

Florida House of Representatives, District 56 Democratic Primary, 2016

Party Candidate
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png David C. Poulin (unopposed)

Incumbent Ben Albritton ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 56 Republican primary.

Florida House of Representatives, District 56 Republican Primary, 2016

Party Candidate
Republican Green check mark transparent.png Ben Albritton Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Ben Albritton was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.

2012

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 8, 2012. Incumbent Ben Albritton (R) was unopposed in both the general election and Republican primary.

Campaign contributions

From 2012 to 2016, candidates for Florida House of Representatives District 56 raised a total of $348,596. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $87,149 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Florida House of Representatives District 56

Year Amount Candidates Average
2016 $150,048 2 $75,024
2014 $56,216 1 $56,216
2012 $142,332 1 $142,332
Total $348,596 4 $87,149